Is Sanders leading the start of a new progressive era?

[n2doc]

By Jacob Lind -

The surge of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is fueling a movement of progressives across the country, writes Jacob Lind.

In 2013, Kshama Sawant was elected to the Seattle City Council. Ordinarily, such an event would be of little note to the United States at large, however, Sawant is no ordinary politician, at least by today’s standards. A member of the Socialist Alternative, Sawant became the first socialist party member elected to public office in a major metropolitan area in over 100 years. She recently dominated in the primary for her first re-election campaign, taking 51.88% of the vote in a 5-way contest.

Her closest competitor barely scraped 15%. Yet, despite Sawant’s popularity, socialism and progressivism as a whole has been decidedly lacking in the United States for the last century. Since Warren G. Harding proposed his “Return to Normalcy” following the First World War and progressive presidency of Woodrow Wilson, the U.S. has been in a constant Red Scare. As a result, words like progressive and socialist have become political poison. Indeed, aside for Sawant, the only other politician who dares to accept the mantle of socialist is Vermont Senator and current Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Sanders is the longest serving independent in the history of the United States Congress, and though he caucuses alongside the Democrats, he has remained fiercely independent his entire career. Even now, as he pursues the Democratic nomination, he refuses corporate donations and is known as a fighter for the average American. When he launched his campaign in April of 2015, the establishment laughed in his face. Pundits claimed that he was little more than a protest candidate and snottily declared that his only purpose was to pull Hillary to the left.

…
But then, something remarkable happened……

more

http://berniepost.com/2015/08/is-sanders-leading-the-start-of-a-new-progressive-era/

[SoapBox]

1. I sure hope so.

It is indeed time for that Political Revolution.

[Hydra]

2. I think he is

President Obama co-opted the change movement before this, or it would have come sooner. I do think that it's coming more strongly now because it was put off before. Where people might have been for regulated capitialism after the crash and the bailouts, I think now there is support for going truly socialist. Climate change thing makes it almost a necessity, so that doesn't hurt either.

The "Elite" overplayed their hand.

[MisterP]

9. that's a core point to remember: this all started 2006-7

when the Dems sat down on what they promised; irate, Americans inside and outside the party turned to Obama (who, as the more radical warned, then sat down on what he promised while a dwindling cohort insisted that he WAS fulfilling his promises and we were just too commie to see it)

a few decades of appealing to rich donors, carefully keeping the rabble from getting what it wants, and blaming the voters whenever "offer nothing" didn't get any traction, and now everyone's ready to get someone who serves them

[libdem4life]

3. Sure was a gutsy speech to the DNC. The squirming was almost audible.

I'm sure thoughts like...where would I fit in...what would happen to everything I've learned...were rampant as he made perfect sense.

[Scuba]

4. While largely agreeing with the OP, I have to nitpick ...

... Sawant became the first socialist party member elected to public office in a major metropolitan area in over 100 years.

Not true:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zeidler

Frank Paul Zeidler (September 20, 1912 – July 7, 2006) was an American Socialist politician and Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving three terms from April 20, 1948 to April 18, 1960. He was the most recent Socialist mayor of any major American city.

[Demeter]

5. It could still go either way

Bernie pulls us back into democracy,

or

he's the last hurrah as we plunge into unmitigated fascism.


I feel manic-depressive about our chances...depending on the day's events, I'm either up and positive, or deeply under the weather. There are so many ways for the Fascists to win. The only way for the People to win is Solidarity. And this isn't a nation known for its cohesiveness.

[merrily]

6. Let's stay positive and focused on winning. Not enough productive stuff tends to get done

in the depressive phase of manic depressive.

[Hydra]

10. Don't worry too much about the people Demeter

The voice is loud and strong. I worry more about what the "Elite" will do to keep power...nothing is beyond them.

[Demeter]

11. The Elite will try to break the People's solidarity (legally or illegally)

and if that doesn't work, take out their candidate....

You are entirely correct.

The People must understand the game, so they cannot be gulled.

[LWolf]

7. I really hope so. nt

[Zorra]

8. If so, it will take massive efforts by dedicated progressives to overcome

the dirty tricks used by oligarchs to prevent democracy.

Look at what DWS and the DNC are doing to Sanders and O'Malley, deliberately setting late dates for the debates, and limiting the number of debates.

Everyone, EVERYONE, understands that the reason that DWS and the DNC are doing this is to ensure Clinton has an easier chance of being given the nomination.

Another dirty trick safeguard the oligarchs will use to prevent a fair primary election, and democracy, is electronic voting. Best to eliminate the threat of democracy before it has a chance to get to the GE.

[mother earth]

12. All good points to consider, true...the oligarchy is scum & they are the power behind our hijacked

gov't, and they aren't going to give it up...we need a damned landslide & an unquestionable social movement. What's it going to take for people to wake the hell up?

[eridani]

13. Only if we keep on with the mass movement he keeps talking about n/t